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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. roll — a cake
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — thin
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com